If she hadn’t had tickets to see Garth Brooks on that warm night in August 1996, 18-year-old Bonnie Schafer would have been working as usual at Music City in Market Mall, selling CDs and cassettes featuring that week’s No. 1 song — ‘Macarena,’ by Los Del Rio — or other tracks rising up the charts, like ‘No Diggity’ by Blackstreet and ‘I Love You Always Forever’ by Donna Lewis.

If he hadn’t secured his own seats that same evening, Dean Grindheim would likely have been on the job at Flexi-Coil or helping out at his parents’ farm near Kenaston.

How did you meet on the night of that concert?

He Said: “Getting out of the SaskPlace parking lot, it was absolutely packed. Just crawling. Hardly moving. You get in one lane, the one lane of traffic would go beside you. Then the next lane, all of a sudden, it would move. This vehicle went past us. I remember a girl hanging out of the car, basically, waving at us — myself and my friend, farm kids, wearing cowboy hats. It was just people being crazy after a concert. People are honking and waving. But I remember this one car specifically, and this one girl waving or hollering. (My friend and I) went and got something to eat on Eighth Street. We were getting ready to leave, to take my friend back to his farm in Allan, and this car honked at us again. We didn’t really do the (cruising) on Eighth Street all that much. That night I guess we did. Talked, eventually.”

She Said: “We met after the concert. First time, was on Idylwyld (Drive) as we were driving by each other. The next time, my friend and I were on our way home. We were going down Eighth Street and they were sitting in their truck at Preston (Avenue). I was excited after being at the Garth Brooks concert. Crawling down Idylwyld, traffic was going slow. We drove by this truck, my friend and I. I rolled down my window and yelled at the truck. They had cowboy hats. It happened to be Dean and his friend, Anthony. Later on, we were going back to my friend’s house and this same truck was at Eighth Street and Preston. My friend honked her horn. He followed us to my friend’s house, her mom and dad’s house. We sat outside and talked for a while. I thought he was a nice guy. Nice farm boy (laughs).”

Who had better seats at the show?

He Said: “I believe she did. I’m almost positive I was upper level, a few rows up.”

She Said: “We were Row 3 on the floor. I think Dean was upper level. Maybe lower level. I was third row on the floor. I think I had better seats.”

Garth Brooks concerts inevitably turn into one big karaoke party. Who’s the better singer between the two of you?

He Said: “She is. You won’t get me up there. I’m not a singer.”

She Said: “I would have to say I would be. Probably better just by default. I sing more in the car than he does.”

You guys both love not just Garth Brooks, but country music in general. So, who’s the better two-stepper and line dancer?

He Said: “I had a few lessons earlier.”

She Said: “He is. He taught me how to dance. I didn’t know how to dance before I met him. We spent many nights at the Longbranch two-stepping after we met.”

Dean Grindheim and Bonnie Grindheim met 20 years ago following a Garth Brooks concert in Saskatoon in August 1996 and have been married for 18 years with two sons.

What’s your favourite Garth Brooks song?

He Said: “‘Callin’ Baton Rouge.'”

She Said: “It’s a toss-up. ‘Two of a Kind.'”

What’s his/her favourite Garth Brooks song?

He Said: “‘Two of a Kind.'”

She Said: “I’d say ‘Callin’ Baton Rouge.'”

What was the most memorable moment of that 1996 concert?

He Said: “There were no empty seats, anywhere. I had been to lots of concerts before. They’d always have a section blocked off or empty seats or it was half-full. There was absolutely no seat not used.”

She Said: “You can feel the energy in the building. You can tell he loves what he does. He’s there for the fans.”

Does going to see Garth Brooks again bring back fond memories?

He Said: “The closer the concert gets, the more I think about the past and how it all turned out. If there was no concert that night, we probably would not have met. Kind of right-place, right-time scenario.”

She Said: “I’ve always said to Dean that I hope Garth comes back to Saskatoon or close enough to us to go see him together. Anytime I hear a Garth song, I always think back to that night and laugh and smile about how everything turned out.”

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